Repair
by Claire Silverfall
Summary: Eleven oneshots of DustCinder. Potential AU. There will be no kits. All are separate oneshots, but may be read in order to form some sort of continuity. Rated for some blood, self-harm, and attempted suicide.
1. Fix

**Fix**_  
_

**So here's my latest project and, surprise surprise, it's not slash this time. This is one of my personal favorite crack pairings, DustCinder. I like Dustpelt and Cinderpelt together because, hey, they both got rejected, unknowingly to the other, by the cat they always wanted. This story is a series of stand-alone oneshots, but it can also be read together as one whole story with a lot of time-skips. There, obviously, will be some FireSand references in here, but nothing big. This particular oneshot is kind of dark, though I'm not sure yet if the others will be the same. By the time it's over, this series will have eleven oneshots. Kudos to you if you can figure out what album this fic is inspired by. If you like it, please review. If not, still review and tell me why you didn't like it, okay? Thanks!  
**

**By the way, at this point there's FireSand and one-sided FireCinder with a bit of one-sided DustSand, but no DustCinder yet.  
**

**Warning: This chapter contains blood and self-harm. If you don't like reading about either of these, please click the back button now and wait for a less dark chapter.  
**

**Disclaimer: I do not and have never owned the series Warriors by Erin Hunter.  
**

* * *

_I tried to be perfect for you..._

Cinderpaw sighed as she watched Fireheart pad out of the camp with Sandstorm, tails twined. She wasn't perfect enough for him, and she never would be thanks to the broken leg that she cursed with every fiber of her being. The smoky gray she-cat stood, stretching her three good legs, and padded off to a spot just beyond the camp that only she knew of. She had never tried to hide her scent when coming or going to her spot; no cat had ever tried to follow her.

_I won't cry, _the blue-eyed apprentice thought. _I can't cry. It's only a sign of weakness... it pushes me farther and farther away from being perfect enough for him._ However, a tear rolled down her face before she could stop it. The young she-cat sank her claws into her crippled leg in frustration, leaving a painful scratch.

_This pain... it hurts, it hurts so much that I barely remember Fireheart and what he did to me..._

Cinderpaw repeated the action, clawing her hind leg until it bled. She bent down and sank her teeth into her injured leg and not letting go until she tasted the bitter, metallic tang of blood. The medicine apprentice continued to scratch and bite at her injured leg, forcing her mind to focus on the physical pain of her wounds rather than the pain of being abandoned by Fireheart.

As the sun began to set, the gray she-cat realized that the Clan would be missing her if she wasn't back soon. She stood up quickly, gasping at the blood trickling down her leg. _I can't go back to camp like this,_ she thought. _Someone will notice the blood._ Thinking quickly, she raced through the forest until she reached the stream. She bent down into an awkward crouch, dipping her bloodied leg into the water. It ran over the cuts and scrapes, making them sting and burn, until she could no longer stand it. She jerked her leg out of the water and looked at her now damp, but clean, leg with approval. After brushing some of the water out of her fur on a patch of tall grass, she began her trek back to the ThunderClan camp.

A moon later, Cinderpaw again watched from the entrance to the medicine den as Fireheart and Sandstorm padded into camp from the forest, tails entwined. She felt the familiar twinge of heartbreak, as she retreated to her spot past the medicine den. She sat and began her familiar ritual of biting, scratching, and clawing at her injured leg as she cursed to herself. She cursed the monster that had struck her, cursed herself for not being quick enough to avoid it, cursed Tigerclaw for sending her to her fate.

The smoky gray she-cat leaned down once more to clamp her jaws around her injured leg, when a rustle in the bushes nearby startled her. Involuntarily, she bit down on her leg with more force than any of her previous wounds. She let out a small yelp of pain, just as a dark brown tabby tom emerged from the bushes.

"Cinderpaw? What are you doing?" the amber-eyed warrior asked worriedly.

Her head snapped up in the direction of the voice, mouth gaping as a trickle of blood dripped down her jaws. "W-what am I doing? Oh, n-nothing.. just medicine cat things..." she meowed shakily, licking the drop of blood off her chin. She knew he wouldn't be convinced, though; he had to have seen her bloodied leg.

Dustpelt rolled his eyes. "You don't honestly expect me to believe that, do you?"

Cinderpaw lowered her head to the ground. "No," she meowed dejectedly.

"Glad you don't think that I'm that stupid," the tom meowed sarcastically. "Now, what's wrong? And don't try to tell me there's nothing wrong, there obviously must be for you to do this to yourself."

The smoky gray she-cat sighed. "It's Fireheart," she mewed softly. The dark tabby bristled at the deputy's name, and she wondered why for a heartbeat. "He's with Sandstorm now... he doesn't have time for me any more." Her voice broke as she finished her statement, and she sniffled back tears.

Dustpelt opened his mouth as if he wanted to say something, then thought better of it and closed his mouth. Instead, he rested his tail gently across Cinderpaw's shoulders as the she-cat began to sob. "It's okay, Cinderpaw. It'll be okay. Just breathe..." he meowed soothingly.

The blue-eyed she-cat was shocked for a moment. She didn't know the prickly, sarcastic warrior was capable of being so... _nice_, and so comforting. She decided not to question it, though, instead opting to lean into his flank for comfort.

The broad-shouldered tabby was shocked at first by the affectionate gesture, but decided that it was only because she wanted some cat to comfort her. He carefully removed his tail from her shoulders, dropping it to twine lightly with her own.

Neither cat knew when, but eventually both drifted off to sleep in the small clearing beyond the ThunderClan camp. When Yellowfang came looking for her apprentice that night, she found the two young cats curled together in the clearing. She smiled slightly at first, before realizing that she couldn't let them be caught. Cinderpaw was, after all, still a medicine cat apprentice; she had to remain without a mate. The old she-cat gently picked up her apprentice by the scruff and dragged her back to the den they shared, where she placed the young she-cat in her own nest. Then the broad-faced, scarred medicine cat returned to the clearing and picked up the young warrior, dragging him as well back to the warriors' den.

In the morning, neither remembered falling asleep in the clearing, nor how they got back to the camp, but they remembered the words they had exchanged. And when Cinderpaw watched Fireheart and Sandstorm leave the camp to go hunting together, her heart didn't feel nearly as heavy as it had before.

_And if you're ever feeling you're  
Bruised and battered, always sore,  
I won't tell no one, just  
Breathe, breathe..._


	2. Silent

**Silent**

**So here's the second part, Silent. This one contains FireSand, one-sided FireCinder, and now sort of onesided DustCinder. Cheers to ridiculously complicated love... squares! By the way, if you notice any spelling errors, point them out to me. My laptop's keyboard was being messed up when I was typing this. If you skipped the last chapter because it was too dark, what with the self-harm and suchlike, try this one. It's a lot lighter, though it's still kind of sad. Please review!  
**

**Disclaimer: I do not and have never owned the series Warriors by Erin Hunter.  
**

* * *

"Fireheart, something's wrong."

Cinderpelt looked up with a start from the herbs she had been collecting at the ginger she-cat's voice. She slowly crept closer to hear the conversation between the deputy and his mate.

"With what? I haven't noticed anything out of the ordinary in the Clan."

"With Cinderpelt."

The smoky gray she-cat cocked her head at her own name. What did Sandstorm possibly think was wrong with her? She strained her ears, creeping forward more.

"What's wrong with Cinderpelt? She'll make a fine medicine cat for ThunderClan."

"Haven't you noticed how much she's changed, Fireheart?"

"Changed? Since when?"

"Since she was your apprentice, mousebrain."

"How so?"

"She used to always be bubbly and happy. Now she's snippy and sarcastic, and she always seems sad about something. It almost reminds me of Dustpelt."

"That is true... what could have made her change like that?"

"Haven't you noticed that she spends more time with Dustpelt lately?"

"Well yes, but I don't see what's wrong with that."

"Can't you see? He's initiating her into his group to become one of Tigerclaw's followers, or something!"

Cinderpelt bared her teeth at the ginger warrior's assumption. Dustpelt? Initiating her to become one of Tigerclaw's followers? The thought was so completely ridiculous that she almost laughed aloud. She wondered how many other cats Sandstorm had told this to... Almost subconsciously, she glanced down at the scars on her crippled leg.

"Are you sure? That doesn't really sound like him..."

"Of course I'm sure. Who was friends with him since they were a kit, before you even came to the Clan?"

"I suppose you're right... I'll have to tell Bluestar about this."

The blue-eyed she-cat heard the bushes rustling, and saw Fireheart walk away in the direction of camp, presumably to tell Bluestar that Dustpelt was a traitor. She was about to go back to tell Dustpelt, when she heard the ginger she-cat's voice again.

"Ah, Dustpelt... you'll regret spending time with that stupid medicine cat, instead of helping me."

Cinderpelt's eyes narrowed with anger. Whatever Sandstorm had wanted Dustpelt to help her with, it surely wasn't anything important or he would have been willing to do it without question.

"Cinderpelt!" the green-eyed she-cat called out. "I know you're there, come out now."

The smoky gray she-cat debated over whether to obey or not, but eventually decided to come out into the open. She padded forward quietly, through the bushes. "What did you want, Sandstorm?" she asked, acting as if she had been collecting herbs the whole time.

"Don't act so mousebrained," Sandstorm hissed. "If you tell any cat what just happened here, I'll tell Fireheart." Her meow became decidedly taunting. "And if I do, he'll never love you, not even as a friend."

Cinderpelt's eyes widened. She didn't question how the ginger she-cat would find out if she told any cat, only nodded mutely. Fireheart couldn't hate her!

"Good," the warrior meowed sweetly. "Well, I'll see you around, Cinderpelt." With that, she turned and began to pad back to camp.

A while later, Cinderpelt finished gathering the herbs she had originally been sent out for and returned to the medicine den. As she began sorting the herbs, a familiar voice rang through the den.

"Cinderpelt," the tom meowed, "I brought you some fresh-kill."

She turned around to see Dustpelt, and not Fireheart like she had somehow hoped it would be. She smiled gratefully nonetheless, taking the shrew with an appreciative nod. "Did you just get back from a hunting patrol?" she asked. Her eyes shifted to Bluestar, across the camp, who was staring straight at Dustpelt.

The dark tabby nodded. "Yes, I caught this just for you."

Cinderpelt licked herself subconsciously, wondering why the tom was looking at her like that. "Thanks," she meowed cheerfully. "Want to share it with me?"

"Sure," the amber-eyed warrior shrugged, sitting down beside the medicine cat. "Uh, why is Bluestar looking at us like that...?" he asked nervously. The leader was, indeed, glaring at the two cats.

The smoky gray she-cat remembered what Sandstorm had said to her. "I, uh, I don't know," she lied cautiously. She didn't like lying, especially not to Dustpelt, but she had to. If she didn't, Sandstorm would tell Fireheart, and he would hate her. If she couldn't be his mate, at least she wanted to be his friend...

Confusion flashed through the dark brown tom's eyes. "Is there something wrong...?" he meowed, concerned.

"No," Cinderpelt meowed calmly, "Everything's fine."

The broad-shouldered warrior still looked unconvinced. "Okay..." he meowed.

_Everything isn't fine! I want to tell you, Dustpelt, but I can't let Fireheart hate me..._ the medicine cat thought sadly._ It hurts, you know, doing this. If I tell you, Fireheart will hate me... if I don't tell you, you might hate me._

Cinderpelt swallowed another bite of the shrew. "Thank you for the fresh-kill, Dustpelt, but I really need to get back to sorting herbs. I'll see you around."

"Okay," he meowed, then turned to pad off to the warriors' den.

As she watched the amber-eyed tom walk away, the medicine cat felt a strange twinge... almost like when she saw Fireheart and Sandstorm together. She chalked it up to having eaten so quickly, as well as being nervous about Sandstorm's threat, and tuned back to the herbs she had been sorting.

_I hope you'll forgive me for this, but I can't lose Fireheart..._

_It hurts the same when nobody knows,  
Guess that's just how it goes, and I  
I won't say anything at all._


	3. Break

**Break**

**Part three, Break, is kind of a follow-up to Silent, though you'll still probably get it if you haven't read Silent. This is probably the lightest chapter so far, and it was really fun. It contains FireSand, one-sided FireCinder, references to one-sided DustSand, and one-sided DustCinder. Especially the end of this chapter is very light-hearted and fun, so if you want to you can skip the first few paragraphs. Please review!  
**

**Disclaimer: I do not and have never owned the series Warriors by Erin Hunter.  
**

* * *

"Hey, Cinderpelt, are-"

"Dustpelt, I know why Bluestar is watching you!" the smoky gray she-cat blurted out.

The dark tabby cocked his head, confused. "What do you mean?"

Cinderpelt sighed. "You know how Bluestar always watches you, like she's afraid you're going to do something?"

The amber-eyed warrior nodded.

The medicine cat continued, "I know why." She bowed her head as she continued, more quietly, "I've known this whole time." _Please forgive me. _"Sandstorm told Fireheart that you were spending time with me because you were trying to turn me into a follower of Tigerclaw. He went and told Bluestar, that's why she doesn't trust you."

"Why didn't you tell me?" Dustpelt meowed quietly, sounding a little hurt.

Tears welled in the she-cat's crystal blue eyes. "B-because Sandstorm told me that if I did, she would make sure that Fireheart hated me..."

The broad-shouldered tom's eyes widened with understanding. "You still love Fireheart, don't you," he meowed; it wasn't a question. Then, a thought occurred to him. "Why did you tell me now, then?"

"I don't know!" the medicine cat wailed. "I felt so guilty for not telling you… I couldn't help it! Please don't tell Sandstorm..."

Dustpelt looked curiously at her. "Why do you think I would tell Sandstorm?" he asked.

The smoky gray she-cat blinked. "Because she said that you two have been friends since you were kits, before Fireheart even came to the Clan."

The amber-eyed tom flinched slightly every time she mentioned Fireheart, but the she-cat didn't take notice. "So?" he meowed challengingly. "Just because I used to…" he trailed off suddenly, as if he just realized he had said too much.

Cinderpelt cocked her head. "You used to what?" she meowed curiously.

"I used to love Sandstorm. When we were apprentices, we did everything together. Then, Firepaw came. At first, we both scoffed at him and Graypaw - Fireheart and Graystripe now - for being so ridiculous, and because he was a kittypet. But then, after they became warriors before us, Fireheart saved Sandpaw - Sandstorm now - from falling into the gorge. After that, she fell in love with him… and never gave me a second thought," Dustpelt sighed.

The medicine cat's eyes widened with sympathy. "I'm so sorry… I know how it feels to be abandoned like that… is that why you don't like Fireheart? Because he stole Sandstorm from you?"

The young warrior smiled a little, despite himself. "No… I'm not in love with Sandstorm anymore," he meowed softly. "I have different reasons for disliking Fireheart now," he whispered, so quietly that the gray she-cat couldn't hear him. "And I promise I won't tell her about this."

The blue-eyed she-cat cocked her head. "How do you just… stop loving some cat?" she asked curiously.

"I guess you just… move on…" Dustpelt meowed unsurely.

Cinderpelt grinned playfully at the older tom. "If you don't love Sandstorm, then there must be some other she-cat that you like!" she exclaimed.

The dark tabby tom's eyes flew wide with horror. "No!" he meowed, a little too quickly. "I mean, no, there's no other warrior that I like…"

"Oh, yes, there is," the medicine cat meowed. "Hm… is it Mousefur?"

Dustpelt stared at the younger she-cat in disgust. "You realize Mousefur was already a warrior when I was kitted, right?" he asked incredulously.

The smoky gray she-cat sighed. "Fine, fine, not Mousefur. Okay, how about… Fernpaw?"

The broad-shouldered tom gave her a look that said, _are you serious?_

Cinderpelt rolled her eyes. "It's a she-cat from another Clan, isn't it!" she mewed excitedly. "Is it Silverstream, from RiverClan?"

"No!" the amber-eyed warrior growled. "Stop guessing!"

The medicine cat's eyes widened. "It's a tom, isn't it!" she meowed. "Could it be… my brother? Brackenfur?" She cringed a little at the thought of Dustpelt liking her brother.

The tom groaned. "No," he sighed impatiently, "it's not a tom. Are you done guessing already?"

"I'm done torturing you for now," the blue-eyed she-cat purred, "but let me have one more question. Is it forbidden and that's why you don't want to tell me?"

The brown tabby's jaw dropped for a heartbeat, before he collected himself and shook his head ferociously. "No!" he snarled, a little too forcefully, "Just give it up, okay?"

Cinderpelt smirked. "So it is," she meowed. "Don't worry, I'm done for now. But trust me, I will find out."

_A thousand promises that never seemed to help me before,  
__A hundred less and I would stumble 'till I found the back door;  
With nothing left to think, I'll probably sit around and ignore  
The apathy that always leads me, and always finds a way to break me.  
_


	4. LeafFall

**Leaf-Fall**

**This chapter is pretty light-hearted, like the previous one, and if it were a separate story I would probably rate it 'K'. It contains mentions of FireSand, one-sided FireCinder, and one-sided DustCinder. Here, we learn more about Cinderpelt's accident. Please review!  
**

**Disclaimer: I do not and have never owned the series Warriors by Erin Hunter.  
**

* * *

Cinderpelt sighed as she watched Fireheart and Sandstorm sharing tongues. _Why couldn't that be me, sharing tongues with Fireheart?_

"What's wrong, Cinderpelt?"

The amber-eyed tom's voice snapped the medicine cat out of her reverie. "Oh, nothing," she sighed, "I'm just thinking about Fireheart…"

Dustpelt shuffled his paws awkwardly. "Maybe it's just not meant to be…" he meowed quietly.

The smoky gray she-cat's eyes flew wide. "No!" she growled. "It has to be… I love him…"

"Okay," the tabby warrior meowed defensively, "I'm sorry I said anything."

The medicine cat sighed. "No, I'm sorry for being so snippy. It's just… when I was his apprentice, I really thought I had a chance with him, you know? And then I had my accident, and now I can never be with him, no matter how badly I want to..."

The dark tabby tom looked at her, eyes filled with worry. "Does what happened with your accident still bother you that badly…?" he meowed softly.

Cinderpelt closed her eyes, as if replaying the moment in her head. "Every day, I wish it had never happened. I wish I could have become a warrior with Brackenfur, taken a mate, fought for my Clan until the day I died."

"I'm sorry… it was my fault," the amber-eyed warrior meowed sadly.

The smoky gray she-cat's eyes snapped open again. "What? No! How was it your fault?" she meowed, confused.

"I told you how to find Tigerclaw, remember? If I had never gone along with Tigerclaw's plan, you would have never gotten hurt…" Dustpelt shook his head, looking down at his paws.

The blue-eyed she-cat laughed, "You're mousebrained, Dustpelt. I never once blamed _you_ for my accident. You were only doing what you thought was right… and besides, we were only apprentices."

The dark brown tabby looked at her with relief. "Really? You don't think it was my fault?" he asked anxiously.

Cinderpelt snorted. "No, of course not, mousebrain. You know, I was more mad at you for snapping at me during the battle afterwards… I felt so useless, not being able to fight with my Clan, and all I wanted to do was die in battle so at least I could have died like a true warrior."

"I'm sorry…"the broad-shouldered warrior meowed, "I didn't want you to die… I felt guilty that it was my fault you had your accident, I felt like I had to protect you somehow."

The smoky gray medicine cat nodded. "I honestly just thought you believed I was a helpless little kit… I thought you were standing in the way of me proving myself to Fireheart."

Dustpelt shook his head. "That wasn't my intention… did you really want to die in that battle?"

Cinderpelt smiled wryly. "Yes, I really did. I thought dying in battle would prove to the Clan that I could be a warrior, and maybe Bluestar would give me my warrior name on my way to StarClan. And then, I also thought Fireheart could never love me because of my accident…"

"You wanted to die, just because you thought Fireheart would never love you?" the older tom asked incredulously.

The blue-eyed medicine cat nodded. "I still remember that battle sometimes, and I still wish I had died then, sometimes…" she mewed sadly.

The dark tabby tom looked worriedly at her. "Why? You're ThunderClan's medicine cat now, I don't know what we would do without you. StarClan knows Yellowfang is getting too old to train another apprentice… I'm glad you didn't die then, myself."

She smiled up at the warrior. "I am too. I'm glad I got to be friends with you… I think you just might be one of my only real friends in the Clan."

Dustpelt looked at her, disappointment shining in his eyes. "Right," he meowed, "Friends." He smiled bitterly a little as he said the word.

"I think things are going almost too well right now," the small she-cat sighed. "It's like everything is going so well that sooner or later, something bad has to happen."

The amber-eyed tom smirked at her. "You're too negative. Don't worry about what might happen, if you're happy now…"

Cinderpelt nodded slowly. "I never thought I could be this happy, if I didn't have Fireheart," she meowed. "It's weird, not being depressed because he's with Sandstorm."

The brown warrior looked hopeful. "Maybe you're getting over him?" he suggested quietly.

"No," the she-cat meowed stubbornly, "I don't think I'll ever stop loving Fireheart. But I can be content, even without him for a mate, and I suppose that will have to be enough."

Dustpelt sighed. "Yes," he echoed, so quietly the medicine cat couldn't hear him, "I suppose that will have to be enough."

_September, won't you bring me some rain again;  
This sun is melting my skin and I would give you anything  
To feel something else...  
September falls away 'til I'm broken,  
And I just hate the sound, cause I can feel the water changing me;  
It's changing me for good..._


	5. Faces

**Faces**

**So here's the longest chapter yet, I hope you like it. This covers the fire, but not Yellowfang's death. A warning to those who like Sandstorm, you might not want to read this chapter, if you don't want to read about her dying. This chapter contains FireSand, one-sided FireCinder, and one-sided DustCinder. Please review!  
**

**Oh, and a note to the reviewer Skyfire of ThunderClan: Thank you for reviewing so faithfully! Every time I post a chapter, I'm anticipating you review. If I do a oneshot based on the song you suggested, I'll probably post it as a separate story, since I doubt it would fit in with this story's current continuity. Watch my profile though, I'll have something based on the song that you suggested soon. And don't worry, a chapter in Dustpelt's point of view is coming sooner or later. And yes, I don't understand what the Erins were thinking with FireSand! She hates him, oh wait now she loves him, what?  
**

**Disclaimer: I do not and have never owned the series Warriors by Erin Hunter.  
**

* * *

"Fire!"

Fireheart's yowl rang through the camp. As the smoky gray she-cat began to stir from her nest, Yellowfang prodded her in the side with an unsheathed claw. The pain made Cinderpelt jump to her feet instantly.

"Come on," the old she-cat growled. "Hurry, we need to get to the river."

With that, the medicine cat padded quickly out of the den. _I'm going to die,_ the blue-eyed she-cat thought. _I can't move fast enough to get out of the forest, I'm going to die._

Suddenly, a dark tabby tom appeared beside her. "Cinderpelt, come on," the amber-eyed warrior meowed. "You can lean on me. We need to get out of here."

"Where is Fireheart?" she asked anxiously.

Dustpelt hissed, "He'll be fine, _come on_."

The world became a blur to Cinderpelt, as she ran as well as she could with her injured leg. The older warrior was beside her the whole way to the edge of the ravine, making sure she didn't fall behind. Before long, the Clan was at the ravine's edge. Fireheart was busy making sure every cat had made it, while his former apprentice panted and gasped for breath.

"It's okay, Cinderpelt," the broad-shouldered tom meowed.

Suddenly, the crippled she-cat heard Fireheart announce that he would go back to rescue the lost cats. Sandstorm argued with him to let her go, until Whitestorm interfered. She hurried to her feet before Dustpelt could protest, limping forward.

Fireheart stared in horror at her as she called out, "Then I'll come!"

"I'm no warrior," she mewed. "I'd be no use anyway if we met an enemy patrol."

"No way!" the ginger tom spat.

Yellowfang roughly shoved her apprentice back. "I may be old, but I'm steadier on my paws than you," the old medicine cat told her. "The Clan will need your healing skills. I'll go with Fireheart, you stay with the Clan."

Cinderpelt opened her mouth to argue, but Fireheart snapped, "There's no time to argue. Yellowfang, come with me. The rest of you, head for the river."

Dustpelt padded forward quietly and draped his tail over the medicine apprentice's shoulders, leading her towards the river along with the rest of the Clan. When they reached the edge of the forest, the smoky gray she-cat sank to the ground.

"Do you think they'll be alright?" the she-cat meowed worriedly.

The warrior wanted to tell her that they would, but he knew he couldn't lie to her. "I pray to StarClan that they will," he replied hoarsely, as he sat silently next to her.

A short while later, Fireheart came back with Patchpelt and Bramblekit in tow. Cinderpelt leapt up from her spot next to Dustpelt and hobbled as quickly as she could to the ginger tom's side. She stooped to try to save Patchpelt, but his breath stopped before she could even try.

She looked up sadly at Fireheart. "He's dead," she murmured.

Her eyes clouded as she remembered being in this same place. This was the exact spot where Silverstream had died, because she hadn't been able to save her…

"We've lost another cat," she whispered with disbelief. "But my grief won't help the Clan."

Fireheart blinked. "You're beginning to sound as strong as Yellowfang."

Cinderpelt's eyes widened. "Yellowfang! Where is she?"

The ginger tom looked at her guiltily. "I don't know," he admitted. "I lost her in the smoke while she was rescuing Halftail. I was going to go back, but the kit…" he trailed off hopelessly..

The medicine cat stood paralyzed with shock for a moment. When Bramblekit began coughing, she shook herself and began licking the kit, stimulating his breathing until he stopped coughing.

Suddenly, the roaring sound of fire began growing louder. "It's coming this way!" Fireheart yowled hoarsely. "We must keep going to the river. We'll only be safe if we cross to the other side. The fire won't reach us there."

As the remains of ThunderClan looked up, a bolt of lightning streaked across the sky, followed by a clap of thunder. "Rain is coming!" the ginger tom yowled. "It will put out the fire! But we must go now, or we won't outrun the flames!"

With that, the cats began to race towards the safety of the river. An unidentifiable cat treaded on Cinderpelt's injured leg as they passed, and she wavered unsteadily. She took an uneasy step, then collapsed to the ground.

A pair of strong jaws grasped her by the scruff. "Cinderpelt, come on," the tom's anxious meow was muffled by the medicine cat's own fur, and at first she wondered hopefully if it was Fireheart. When the warrior began to move, she saw that he had dark brown tabby fur, instead of the bright ginger fur she had been expecting.

When they reached the river, Dustpelt set the smoky gray she-cat down on the ground as she began to get to her feet.

"It's shallow enough to wade most of the way," Fireheart yowled. "Much shallower than usual. There's a place in the middle where you'll have to swim, but you'll make it. You have to trust me!"

The cats stared at him with horror, until Whitestorm nodded to the young deputy and waded into the river with Speckletail's kit in tow. Cinderpelt watched, crestfallen, as Sandstorm padded up to her mate. The two exchanged whispered words of comfort, before the ginger she-cat plunged into the water.

Suddenly, another bolt of lightning lit the sky. The Clan heard a yowl muffled by water, and looked to the river only to see a ginger body bobbing in the dark water, farther down the bank.

"Sandstorm, no!" Fireheart wailed, charging down the bank to where the green-eyed she-cat's body was last. A wet ginger paw scrabbled at the shore farther away, but the current was too strong. The Clan watched in alarm as the warrior's head struck a large rock jutting out of the river. Sandstorm went limp, and her body slowly sank to the bottom of the stream.

Cinderpelt stared in horror. If something like that could happen to such a strong warrior as Sandstorm, what would happen to her? As if reading her mind, Dustpelt padded up beside her and whispered, "Don't worry. I won't let anything happen to you."

Whitestorm coughed loudly to get the Clan's attention. "We still need to cross the river," he meowed urgently, "or we'll all burn to death here."

"Whitestorm is right," a smooth, female voice called from across the river. The ThunderClan cats turned to see Leopardfur, the RiverClan deputy, standing on the other side of the shore. A patrol was behind her, including Graystripe. "Come on, we'll help you. Just keep moving your paws and you'll be fine." She sat down calmly as her warriors padded forward to stand in a shallow part of the river.

Whitestorm paddled the rest of the way across the river, smiling encouragingly as his Clanmates began to cautiously step forward into the water. Dustpelt padded into the swift-running stream, flicking his tail as he watched Cinderpelt expectantly.

"I-I can't…" she mewed, terror filling her eyes as a particularly large wave made the warrior waver slightly.

Brackenfur padded over to her. "Cinderpelt, let's go. I'll help you, and so will Dustpelt," he meowed, looking cautiously at the amber-eyed tom. The dark brown tabby simply nodded, beckoning with his tail.

With much urging from her brother and Dustpelt, the blue-eyed medicine cat stepped gingerly into the water. When a wave made her sway, the older warrior was at her side in an instant, allowing her to lean on him until she regained her balance. Eventually, the three cats made it to the RiverClan side of the river. Brackenfur padded away once his sister was safe, to help Willowpelt with her kits.

Once the whole Clan was safely across the river, Fireheart began to numbly lead the ThunderClan cats, behind Leopardfur and her patrol, into the RiverClan camp. When they got there, the young deputy explained hollowly why they were there. Cinderpelt and Dustpelt were separated, as Mudfur whisked her away to get herbs and treat the cats.

That night, the young medicine cat flopped unceremoniously down near the other ThunderClan cats. As she closed her eyes, she felt warm fur brushing hers. "What are you doing?" she asked the tabby tom.

"You were shivering," the amber-eyed warrior meowed quietly, concern evident in his voice. "We can't have you catching whitecough."

Cinderpelt was too exhausted to argue. "Okay," she yawned, closing her eyes and snuggling closer to Dustpelt. The warrior purred contentedly, drifting off to sleep.

_There's nothing familiar here anymore;  
Is anyone or anything  
Enough to feel alive…?_


	6. Try

**Try**

**Just past halfway done, woo! This story started off as just a fleeting thought while I was trying to overcome writers' block on my other story, Grief, but I really like how it's turning out. This chapter contains slight FireSand, one-sided FireCinder, and a bit less one-sided DustCinder. Please review!  
**

**Disclaimer: I do not and have never owned the series Warriors by Erin Hunter.  
**

* * *

Cinderpelt sighed as she padded into her den, mouth full of herbs. Even after a moon, she still expected Yellowfang to be waiting in the den for her when she returned. As she began to sort the herbs she had collected, another cat padded into the den to sit beside her.

"How are you?" the tom meowed softly. She knew he was referring to Yellowfang's death.

She turned to face the amber-eyed warrior. "I'm doing just as well as any other day… it's hard, but I'm getting used to being alone in here."

Dustpelt smiled at her. "Want me to break something so you get to see me all the time?" the brown tabby meowed cheekily.

The blue-eyed medicine cat smirked. "I don't think I could put up with you _all_ the time." A thought occurred to the she-cat. "How do you think Fireheart is doing, since Sandstorm died…?" she asked concernedly.

All traces of warmth faded from the warrior's eyes. "I'm sure he's fine," he meowed, stifling a growl from rising in his throat.

"Are you sure?" the smoky-gray she-cat didn't seem to pick up on the sudden hostility in the other's voice. "He seems so out of it lately… although he has been coming in to visit me more often, so I suppose that's a good thing!"

_And I've been coming here to visit you since I saved you from yourself, but that doesn't matter; I'm not Fireheart, am I now?_ the tom thought angrily. Instead of voicing his thoughts, he nodded silently as the medicine cat continued.

Cinderpelt continued to excitedly discuss Fireheart. "Earlier, he told me he was sorry for not coming to visit me as often! Although he only said we were friends… that's still better than when he was with Sandstorm, right?"

"Cinderpelt!" the dark tabby hissed, startling the medicine cat into looking up at him. "There's more to life than just wishing for Fireheart to like you."

The blue-eyed she-cat flattened her ears. "What are you talking about? You know I love Fireheart!"

"Well maybe there's more that you're missing in life, because all you'll ever do is pine after a cat who doesn't love you!" Dustpelt snarled angrily. "You're a medicine cat, for StarClan's sake! You're not even supposed to have a mate, ever! All you do is throw yourself at him, over and over again, and he barely acknowledges you. Who knows, maybe there's some other cat right under you nose who could be a better mate than Fireheart would ever be!"

The smoky gray medicine cat hissed back, "But there isn't, because Fireheart is the only cat who I would ever want! I'm not even friends with any of the other toms in this Clan, except you , Brackenfur, and Fireheart!"

The amber-eyed tom recoiled, as if she had hit him. "Fine," he spat, "I'm sorry for caring about you! Come find me when you realize that there's more to life than just Fireheart." With that, the broad-shouldered warrior stormed out of the medicine den, leaving Cinderpelt alone.

The blue-eyed she-cat stared after the tom's retreating figure. Maybe he was right… after all, he had heard her complain about Fireheart and Sandstorm more times than she could count. And he _had_ saved her, back when she was still Cinder_paw_… had she let him down by choosing Fireheart over him, her friend? Did he hate her now?

Tears welled in her eyes at the thought of him hating her. Life without him, her closest friend in the Clan, would be lonely… Suddenly, she felt more alone than she ever had as she sat in her den that was no longer shared with Yellowfang. What had she done? _I'm so sorry…_

_I'll find a way to fix this,_ the medicine cat promised herself. Just then, she heard footsteps coming closer to her den. Her ears pricked as she turned to the entrance, hoping it was Dustpelt returning.

She sighed discontentedly when she saw, instead, a bright ginger tom. "Hello, Fireheart," she meowed, faking cheerfulness.

"Hi, Cinderpelt. Have you had any dreams from StarClan recently?" the deputy asked eagerly, not noticing the strain in the she-cat's voice.

She smirked a little, knowing what the green-eyed warrior was trying to ask. "No, Fireheart," she meowed, "I haven't heard anything from Sandstorm."

Fireheart wilted noticeably. "Oh…" he meowed sadly.

"Don't worry," Cinderpelt mewed comfortingly, "Remember, no matter what she'll always be with you. Eventually you might even get over her and find some she-cat even better."

The ginger tom perked up a little. "You really think so? Thanks, Cinderpelt. I don't know what I'd do without you," he meowed, smiling a little.

The medicine cat returned his smile. "No problem, I'm here any time you need to talk. Now go, I'm sure you have duties to attend to."

As the deputy nodded and turned to pad out of her den, she let the artificial smile drop. What was wrong with her? Fireheart visiting usually made her feel better no matter what, but now she felt lonelier than ever… She glanced out to the camp, where she saw Dustpelt chatting amicably with Fernpaw as they left for the training hollow. Sighing, she retired to the back of her den. _Will you ever forgive me?_

_Sorry, but I tried; it was never mine,  
But I can still pretend, I guess it all depends;  
I'm still a little crazy all the time,  
But I can try to hide it, that's still mine..._


	7. Low

**Low**

**The seventh installment of Repair is here! This one has FireSand, not-quite one-sided FireCinder, one-sided DustFern, and not-quite one-sided DustCinder. The part with Sandstorm was really fun to write, she's such an enigma... what? I didn't want to make her all bad! Anyway, please review!  
**

**Disclaimer: I do not and have never owned the series Warriors by Erin Hunter.  
**

* * *

Cinderpelt watched from her den as a broad-shouldered warrior returned to camp with his apprentice, chatting amicably with her. Fernpaw smiled up at her mentor, and the medicine cat could tell she was trying to flirt with the older tom. Resentment rose up in her throat towards the gray flecked she-cat, though she couldn't place a paw on exactly why. She suddenly regretted suggesting to Fireheart that Dustpelt should mentor Fernpaw.

_It was your fault_, a hauntingly familiar voice told her in the back of her head. _You're the one who drove them to each other, and you're the one who drove him away._

Why did she care so much who the amber-eyed tom took as a mate, anyway? _Your fault. It's all your fault._

"Go away," Cinderpelt growled softly to the green-eyed she-cat whose voice tortured her with every breath.

_Don't try to deny it… it's your fault._

Cinderpelt unsheathed her claws, ready to slice her own body apart to rid herself of the pale ginger she-cat's muttering in her ears. Just as she touched the tip of her claws to her own injured leg, though, the lithe warrior spoke again.

_Don't you remember your promise, Cinderpelt? Just think of how disappointed Dustpelt would be if you broke your promise…_

The blue-eyed medicine cat stopped, slowly sheathing her claws. As much as she hated to admit it, the dead she-cat was right. Dustpelt would be horribly disappointed if she broke her promise.

Cinderpelt gazed around her den, and almost swore she saw Sandstorm grinning proudly at her. She blinked quickly, ridding herself of the dead warrior, and opened her eyes to see that her den was empty once again.

"Cinderpelt!" a tom's voice called into her den, and for a second she hoped it was Dustpelt.

However, she tuned to the entrance of the den and saw, instead, a bright ginger tom with green eyes. She smiled at the deputy. "Fireheart," she meowed, voice becoming friendly, "What are you doing here?"

The tom shuffled his paws anxiously. "Well… I wanted to know if you've heard anything from Sandstorm?" he asked sheepishly, hope flickering in his eyes.

The blue-eyed medicine cat's eyes widened. What was she supposed to tell him? _Tell him that I'm fine, and I'll always be with him. Tell him that I still love him, and I always will._ Cinderpelt smiled sadly at her former mentor. "Yes, I have. She says that she's fine, and that she'll always be with you. She says that she still loves you, and she always will."

"W-would she be angry if I moved on to another she-cat?" the ginger tom asked warily.

_No, I'll support his decisions no matter what. _The medicine cat smiled. "I'm sure she'd support your decisions no matter what, Fireheart."

The tom beamed. "Thanks, Cinderpelt," he meowed, before padding out of the den much more cheerfully than when he entered.

_Don't worry, Cinderpelt. There will be some cat for you._

The blue-eyed she-cat smiled this time at Sandstorm's voice. Did she mean that Fireheart would become Cinderpelt's mate? She hoped so…

She suddenly became aware of the smell of the forest in the den, as the scent drifted away. A light wind ruffled her fur, as the voice spoke once more. _Time will tell, Cinderpelt. Perhaps in another life, you and I could have been friends._ She felt a tail rest lightly on her shoulder.

Cinderpelt smiled. "Perhaps," she whispered, as the wind died down and the tail lifted away from her.

The smoky gray she-cat gazed out at the Clan's camp from her spot at the entrance to the medicine den. When her stomach growled at her, she slowly got to her feet and began to pad towards the fresh-kill pile. She nervously picked up a sparrow, feeling as if the whole Clan was watching her, and hurried back in the direction of her den. In her hurry, she collided with a dark brown tabby warrior.

"Watch where you're going," the tom hissed, then looked at her with surprise. "Cinderpelt? Oh… sorry…"

The medicine cat looked up at the amber-eyed warrior. "Dustpelt," she meowed quietly, "come with me."

Hope flashed in the dark tabby's eyes, and he eagerly followed her to her den. Inside the den, he sat down awkwardly in front of her.

"I-I'm sorry…" Cinderpelt mewed softly, "I didn't mean to make you angry…"

He laughed lightly. "It's fine. I shouldn't have gotten so upset with you… StarClan knows you can't help who you fall in love with."

For a heartbeat, the blue-eyed she-cat wondered if the tom had been referring to himself as well as her, but she quickly brushed it off. "I'm so glad you forgive me, it's been so lonely without you coming in every day!" she meowed, relieved.

Dustpelt smiled widely. "It's nice to know I was missed," he replied cheekily. "I'll have to argue with you more often!"

"Don't push it!" the medicine cat laughed.

And for a while, all was right in their world.

_And I feel so ashamed;  
This should have been easy…  
And I want you to know  
That I won't let go again…_


End file.
